Osprey's study of British troops prior to and during the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). On 4 March; 1878 at King William's Town; British Kaffraria; Gen. Sir Arthur Cunnynghame handed over supreme command of the British forces in southern Africa to his successor; Lt. Gen. Sir Frederic Thesiger. The High Commissioner; Sir Henry Bartle Frere; was convinced that one solution to the complex problems which beset the region was to overthrow the last powerful independent black kingdom bordering British possessions – the Zulu kingdom of King Cetshwayo KaMapande. However Cetshwayo had remained on the political defensive. This book descirbes the uniforms and equipment of the forces that Thesiger led across the border to wage war in Zululand.
#4539131 in Books Element Books Ltd 1992-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 5.25 x .50l; #File Name: 1852303093144 pagesAustralian Aborigine Traditionsky heroes - "the Dreaming""The Dreaming"rituals ; rites and ideas of reincarnationbelief in the metaphysical basis of the human spirit
Review
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Discussing some Aboriginal TraditionsBy CustomerThis book is a commentary on some Aboriginal traditions. It discusses how the Dreaming may reflect actual events in prehistory; as suggested by archeological finds. There is also a chapter on some common elements of Aboriginal belief; including especially the Rainbow Snake and totemic identity. Cowan describes some rites and rituals; and includes a few brief accounts of myth cycles. Other topics addressed are Clever Men; sacred love; and the yellow ochre (funeral) dance. Sources are cited in endnotes collated at the end of the book. There is an index.Not being familiar with any elements of Aboriginal culture; I hoped to find a concise introduction to Aboriginal religious beliefs in this book. However; this book was not a good place to start for such questions; since Cowan assumes familiarity with many elements of the belief system on the part of readers; and much of the text is commentary on the belief system or its theories rather than description or explanation of the elements of the system. Rather than explain what the Dreaming or the Rainbow Snake are; Cowan assumes that the reader is familiar with these terms; and discusses present historical records or the geographical extent of the beliefs. Perhaps this lack of description is due to desire to keep the information secret; but if so; it would have been appropriate to at least explain the limitation. One bizarre term that Cowan used was "sacred love". From his description; the ritual seemed to be "sacred sex;" since love seemed to have no relevance to the context-is this a standard term; or could Cowan have used a more precise term here?
